Shoestring-fastener.



A.- DERRENBERGER.

SHOESTRING FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22. 1915.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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ADAM'DERRENBERGER, OF ROCHESTER, WA SHINGTON.

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Application filed April 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADAM DERRENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in thecounty of Thurstonand State of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoestring-Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoe strings and more particularly to fasteners therefor.

Heretofore it has been customary to leave the ends of the boot or shoe lace free and to tie said ends together on completion of the lacing operation.

The primary object of the invention is to obviate the necessity of such tying and provide a neat finish for the lace, and also to provide means which while permitting these ends to be left free will yet hold them perfectly taut after being once secured to the lacing hooks.

WVith this and other objects in view, the invention consist of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front view of the laced up shoe closed by a string or lace equipped with this improved fastener; Fig. 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale, of a portion of a shoe showing one end of the string secured and the other end hanging loose ready for engagement with the final lacing hook at the upper end of the shoe; Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the laced shoe; Fig. 4: is a side elevation with parts broken out of the fasteners detached; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the fastener detached, taken from the smaller end and on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

The laced closure, throughout its lower portion which is commonly kept permanently fastened, is effected by passing the lace L through eyelets E arranged in a series of pairs at opposite sides of the opening L of the shoe; while the closure throughout its upper portion of the fastener, which alone is commonly unfastened when the shoe is to be taken off or put on, is as a rule efr fected by passing each member Z and Z from side to side of the opening 0 so as to engage Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916-. Serial No. 23,229.

with the hooks H arranged in continuation of the holes or eyelets E at opposite sides of said opening. The respective members Z and Z of the lace crossing one another between successive pairs of hooks H, each. member engaging with the hooks at alternating sides of the opening; all of these features being as usual.

For the purpose of the present invention, the respective members Z and Z of the lace should be of equal length and just long enough to engage with the last or upper most pairs of hooks H when the lacing is completed and to permit the engagement of the fastening elements with said hooks by means of which the extremities of the lace are connected and held in engagement with said hooks.

The fastener contemplated by the present invention comprises a hollow truncated cone-shaped ferrule 1 constructed of any suitable material, preferably metal, which is preferably about one-half inch long with the opening at one end about one-eighth of an inch in diameter, more or less, and that of the other end about five-sixteenths of an inch to provide for the insertion of the string or lacing L in the smaller end of the ferrule and when the string is drawn taut a single loop L is formed in the end of the string and the ferrule slipped up into contact with said loop where it will be reliably held by friction as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings and the pressure exerted on said fastener by its engagement with the hook H at the upper end of the shoe will serve to force it into firmer contact with the single loop or loop knot L and thus prevent all possibility of the fastener slipping away from the knot and from becoming disengaged from the hook. By tying a single slip knot or loop in the end of the lace, provision is made for the adjustment at any time to provide for any slack which may occur owing to the stretching of the lace. As shown this ferrule I has the smaller end thereof cut at an'oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the ferrule with the edges of said end converging to a point at one side of the ferrule to facilitate the binding engagement of said end with the string when in operative position and permitting the lateral movement of said fer rule relatively to the string without cutting of the string by said edges.

From the above description it will be obvious that by the use of this improved fastener, all tying or untying of the strings after the lacing operation is completed is avoided and the trouble consequent thereto, rendering the lacing of the shoe and securing of the ends of the lace a very small matter adapted to be quickly performed and yet present a neat appearance on the shoe.

I claim as my invention: 7

A shoe string fastener comprising a hollow truncated cone-shaped ferrule, the

smaller end of Which is cut at an oblique Witnesses.

ADAM 'DERRENBERGER.

WVitnesses:

CLYDE PATON, Rom. M. PATON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

